Snarl (G1)
| The name or term "Snarl" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Snarl (disambiguation). |
- Snarl is an Autobot Dinobot from the Generation 1 continuity family.
Snarl is an unhappy, unsociable loner. He grudgingly follows Grimlock's orders and that's about it. He leaves thinking to others. He has few opinions and rarely expresses those he has. Snarl's uncommunicative nature only serves to fuel his sense of isolation. On top of all this, he hates the ungainly stegosaur form given him by the Ark and feels that the war on Earth means he may never see his beloved Cybertron again. Snarl is a profoundly unhappy being.
Only in war does Snarl feel happiness. Only the joy of combat washes away the ache in his spark, and lets him forget anything but the rising thrill of the fight. For these reasons Snarl revels in combat more than even his fellow Dinobots.
As an Action Master, he is partnered with Tyrannitron.
| “ | Perfect end to a perfect day. We can't even die right. | ” |
—Snarl, Dinobot morale officer, "Maximum Dinobots issue 3" | ||
- Preliminary name: Stegobot
- Hungarian name: Acsargó
- French-Canadian name: Grondeur
- Portuguese name (Brazil comic): Rugidor
- Italian name: Stego
Fiction
Cartoon continuity
American cartoon continuity
- Voice actor: Hal Rayle (English), Ken Shiroyama (Japanese)
Snarl, along with Swoop, were the second set of Dinobots created by Wheeljack. They fought the previous Dinobot group who had been tricked by Megatron into joining the Decepticons. After Optimus Prime risked saved Grimlock from a fate similar to death, the rebel Dinobots realized the error of their ways and rejoined the Autobots, with Swoop and Snarl under Grimlock's command. War of the Dinobots
Snarl, along with the rest of the Dinobots was deemed strong enough to battle the elements when Cybertron's close proximity to Earth was causing natural disasters. He assisted by sticking trees into the ground to help break up an oncoming tidal wave. The Ultimate Doom, Part 2
Soon after a climactic battle between Optimus Prime and Megatron, the Constructicons dug their way into the Autobot headquarters in an attempt to destroy Teletraan I. Upon the sounding of the alarm, Snarl was among the Dinobots who drove the intruders outside the base. However, the Constructicons unleashed their secret weapon by combining to form the mighty Devastator. Snarl was kicked by the giant, ending up hanging over the edge of a river of lava which then proceeded to burn his already damaged backside. It was not a very good day. Heavy Metal War
Atlantis, Arise! Day of the Machines Dinobot Island, Part 1 Dinobot Island, Part 2 Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1 Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
In the year 2005, Snarl was conspicuously absent during one of the most significant battles of the Great War, but was present in the aftermath of the Decepticon attack on Autobot City. He disappeared after Ultra Magnus ordered the Autobots to get to the shuttles. Later, he was on the Quintesson spaceship commandeered by Hot Rod, Kup, the Dinobots and their new friend Wheelie when they arrived on the planet Junkion . The Transformers: The Movie
By 2006, Snarl had become a little more talkative. He and Sludge were left to guard Cybertron when a seemingly resurrected Optimus Prime told them all that Hot Rod, Arcee, Ultra Magnus, and Kup were killed by the Quintessons, only to see them arrive after the Autobot Fleet left. Despite Sludge's initial concern that the two Dinobots were dead, Snarl belatedly realized that something was wrong. Dark Awakening
Snarl would often spend his free time fishing in a lake/pond with the other Dinobots. Their idea of fishing was wading out and grabbing fish with their teeth. He was among the first Dinobots to realize that there was something wrong with Grimlock after he was exposed to Anti-electrons, and the Dinobots temporarily ostracized him. They let Grimlock back after he transferred his super-intelligence to Computron. Grimlock's New Brain Later, he was among the Primitives summoned by Primacron's assistant to fight Tornedron. He objected to the "stupid Decepticon rhino"'s low opinion of Grimlock, and a brawl ensued. Other than that, he didn't really contribute much to the Primitives' adventures. Call of the Primitives
Snarl's growls, roars, and, uh, snarls are absolutely adorable.
Japanese cartoon continuity
The Headmasters cartoon
In the year 2011, the Decepticons invaded Cybertron to get their hands on Vector Sigma. Wreck-Gar dispatched Snarl, Swoop and Grimlock to defend their planet. Four Warriors Come out of the Sky
Marvel Comics continuity
Generation 1
Snarl was one of the original crew of the Ark. After it crashed, Shockwave came to Earth in pursuit and landed in the Savage Land. The Ark rebuilt Snarl along with Grimlock, Slag, Sludge and Swoop into the Dinobots and sent them to the Savage Land to defeat Shockwave. The Last Stand Shockwave had the upper hand until Snarl smashed the mountainside Shockwave was standing on, sending him and the Dinobots submerged in a tar pit where they remained until they were dug out by Ratchet millions of years later. Snarl, along with the other Dinobots, then helped Ratchet to defeat Megatron and reclaim the Ark and free the deactivated Autobots within. Repeat Performance!
Not long after this he went mad due to the burning out of his cybo-dendrons after being submerged in the tar pit for millions of years. The Autobots knew the danger the Dinobots posed and they set out to find them. Dinobot Hunt!
Snarl later recovered along with the other Dinobots. Second Generation! He and the other Dinobots left the Ark shortly afterward to help Sludge save his friend, Joy Meadows from both the Decepticons and Swoop's former tormentor, Professor Morris and his new robot Centurion, funded by Triple-I. In the National Interest
Snarl would later battle the future Decepticon Galvatron. Fallen Angel After the death of Optimus Prime, Snarl helped to battle Trypticon who had been sent from Cybertron by Ratbat to attack the Ark. Having driven Trypticon away Snarl and the Dinobots returned to the Ark where Grimlock was declared Autobot leader. King of the Hill!
Following the return of Optimus Prime as Autobot leader, Snarl and the other Dinobots were critically damaged by the Underbase-powered Starscream. Dark Star After being repaired by Ratchet using Pretender technology, Grimlock took Snarl and the Dinobots to Hydrus Four and restored them using Nucleon. Snarl and the Dinobots later returned to Cybertron and took part in the battle against Unicron. On the Edge of Extinction!
Marvel UK future timelines
In 2008, Snarl and the Dinobots were one of several special units unleashed on the Decepticon attack force when Scourge and Cyclonus led the 'Cons on a siege of the Autobots' main base on Cybertron. Autobot High Command soon learned this assault was only a distraction, however, engineered by Unicron himself who was reconstructing himself on the planet of Junk. When Smokescreen returned from Junk with this news, Rodimus Prime gathered Scattershot, Grimlock, and the rest of the Dinobots with him to make an assault on Junk. Much to Rodimus's dismay, Snarl and the Dinobots didn't hold back at all when attacking the Junkions Unicron had mind-controlled into doing his bidding, and tore through them as if they were any other enemy. The Legacy of Unicron!
Earthforce
Searching for a means to revive his fellow Dinobots, Grimlock found a way and brought Snarl and the others back to full activation. Shockwave wanted the secret for himself, but the Dinobots weren't exactly forthcoming. During a fight with Shockwave's Decepticons, Snarl took Starscream to school, battering him with his tail, taking a bite out of his legs, and finally zapping the treacherous Decepticon with solar energy from his spines. Two Steps Back! Not long after that, Optimus Prime took the Ark off-planet, leaving Earth under the protection of Grimlock, the Dinobots, and the newly formed Autobot Earthforce they commanded. Break-Away!
Feeling Grimlock was taking his new command gig too seriously, Snarl and the other Dinobots decided to have a little fun with the boss, thanks to the Earth custom of April Fools' Day. They sent him out on a wild robo-goose chase for Shockwave, only to end up at an ice sculpture of the Decepticon set behind an "April Fools!" sign. Grimlock didn't take this too well, and was last seen headed towards Snarl and the Dinobots with the world's biggest snowball. Snow Fun!
When Wheeljack discovered an evil plot behind Sleepfast nightlights, he had Snarl help him break into the manufacturing warehouse to confirm his suspicions. While inside, they were attacked by a swarm of evil nightlight gremlins and confronted by the mastermind behind the nefarious scheme: Mindwipe! Thinking quickly, Snarl and Wheeljack were able to turn the thought-activated nightlights against their creator, mentally commanding the hundreds of lights to all flash on at once, temporarily shorting out Mindwipe's optical circuitry. The Living Nightlights!
As Autobot Earthbase finished construction, Snarl was present when Wheeljack activated the unfortunate defense system that kept the Autobots out of their own headquarters. The House that Wheeljack Built! When the system had to be shut down, he was also on hand to defend the base from an attack by Soundwave and the Decepticons. Divide and Conquer!
As always, the Dinobots stuck together in crises, like when Slag went into a routine berserker rage right when Optimus Prime was performing an inspection of the Earthforce operation. Snarl and the others went racing around the base trying to keep Slag from destroying TOO much necessary equipment before Prime left. The 4,000,000 Year Itch! On a more serious note, however, Snarl himself came down with a debilitating case of Corrodia Gravis, a wasting disease that would cause him to slowly rust to death unless he received a systems boost from a compatible Transformer. The problem? That Transformer was Starscream. Assassins
Starscream made a deal with the Autobots and agreed to the systems boost, The Lesser Evil but years later the disease returned and Snarl was completely incapacitated. The Dinobots theorized that the central control crystal from the shuttle which first brought them to Earth could help, storing Snarl's cerebral patterns until a new body could be constructed for him. Once they traveled to the Savage Land, however, they found that the crystal wasn't in the shuttle anymore. Searching the area, the Dinobots found a paleontologist named Professor Embrey, who had adapted the crystal and used its radiative properties to stop a wasting disease that was killing off the dinosaurs in the Savage Land. Unable to retrieve the crystal from Embrey without condemning the dinosaurs to death, Swoop arranged a solution by using the crystal to transfer Snarl's mind into a living stegosaurus. Snarl remained behind in the Savage Land under Embrey's care until a new body could be made for him. Destiny of the Dinobots!
Another Time and Place
Several months after the golden age of Cybertron was reintroduced, Snarl and most of his fellow Dinobots had succumbed to the transfiguring effects of Nucleon and lost their ability to transform. When Grimlock received information that the Hydrus Four facilities had reopened, and discovered a means of reversing Nucleonic changes, the Dinobots jumped at the idea. Despite Prime's half-hearted warnings, Snarl and his teammates followed Grimlock back to Hydrus Four in the hopes of becoming Transformers once again. They were followed by the "exiled" Decepticons, however, and a battle with a huge native creature delayed the Dinobots long enough for Bludgeon's crew to get ahead of them and take over the Nucleon facility. The Dinobots were laid low by a Holocaust Trigger, overloading their sensory circuits so that they were helpless before the Decepticons. Cruelly tortured, the Dinobots were still left alive so that they could witness the rebirth of Megatron, thanks to the Nucleon infusions Bludgeon was feeding him. Luckily, the Autobots had long since learned to become worried whenever the Dinobots were out of sight for too long, and had followed them to Hydrus Four. Roadhandler, Tote and several Micromasters managed to free the injured Dinobots, and an Autobot strike force brought down their Decepticon captors. The Nucleon reversion process was a success, and Snarl and his comrades were restored to fully operational Transformers. Another Time and Place
Generation 2
Snarl and the Dinobots were fighting alongside Grimlock and a small group of Autobot firestormers when they uncovered the Cybertronian Empire and their terraforming measures. After calling in Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots, they became part of a major offensive against not only Jhiaxus and his ilk, but everything they represented. War Without End! Despite Prime serving as overall commander, however, Snarl and his buddies were still Dinobots first and foremost. So when Grimlock wanted to take first strike action against Prime's orders, there was no question who they'd follow. Snarl and the others were captured almost immediately, though, and only escaped thanks to the timely intervention of Optimus Prime and his more loyal group of soldiers. Devices and Desires!
Snarl continued to fight alongside the Autobots with his Dinobot comrades, on both Earth and Ethos. The Gathering Darkness Escalation! Later, after the Autobots forged an alliance with the first-generation Decepticons against the Cybertronians, the Dinobots got into the spirit of things—they teamed up with Headstrong and Weirdwolf in a metal-munching contest, to see who could chow down on the most Cybertronians.
Man, too bad Hun-Grrr and Skullcruncher weren't there to make it a real contest. Total War!
Classics
Snarl (in his Action Master body) is part of Grimlock's crew on the Graviton. He told a recently ditched Monzo one little promise: "He'd never have to hear Weirdwolf's voice again." That gave them everything they needed to defeat Bug Bite. Games of Deception
Dreamwave comics continuity
Millions of years ago, he made fun of Trypticon's "dumb-looking" dinosaur-esque robot mode. The War Within
Then in present day, he ended up with a dinosaur alt-mode.
Oh, bitter irony!
Transformers Legends
Snarl battled three Decepticons on Dinobot Island with Paddles. After two of the Decepticons retreated, the Dinobots cornered the last, Raze, who managed to damage Paddles before Snarl could finish him. Snarl flew off without bothering to check if Paddles was still functional, leaving the sand to swallow his comrade. Paddles
Devil's Due G.I.Joe vs Transformers comics continuity
Snarl and his comrades got the name "Dinobots" after they were randomly sent into Earth's distant past by a malfunctioning Teletran 3 and given dinosaur altmodes. They were brought back to the present by a group of G.I. Joe and Cobra members, and proceeded to rip Shockwave and his army to pieces. G.I. Joe vs. the Transformers II issue 4
A few months later, Snarl helped defeat Serpent O.R.'s newly acquired army as well. He agreed with Storm Shadow's statement of "KIII-YAHHH!" as the two beat up Ransack and Venom. The Art of War issue 5
IDW comics continuity
Snarl and the other Dynobots followed Grimlock to revenge themselves against Shockwave, who blew up a cache of energon they had stolen. When Shockwave traveled to Earth, the Dynobots pursued him and reformatted themselves to transform into robotic dinosaurs with a synthetic skin as a defense against energon overload. Sadly, it did not protect the Dynobots from Shockwave's energy blasts, which melted the artificial skin and caused the Dynobots to go into stasis lock due to excessive energon radiation. Due to a deadman's switch, the Dynobots' ship (the Skyfire) blasted a volcano that buried everyone in molten lava. Spotlight: Shockwave
Thousands of years later, the Dynobots were eventually excavated by Skywatch, and though Grimlock was the first to be brought back online, he was freed from Skywatch's control through a virus implanted by a Machination spy (under orders from Scorponok). Scorponok wanted Grimlock to join him, but Grimlock refused, fought Scorponok and escaped, vowing to find and rescue Snarl and the other Dynobots. Scorponok, however, plans to take control of the Dynobots himself and use them to assassinate Grimlock. Spotlight: Grimlock
Skywatch activated Snarl, and in a test run, had him destroy a tank. When Grimlock showed up in Fallon, he and the other Dynobots were sent to intercept him. Maximum Dinobots issue 1
The Dynobots were set loose on Grimlock, nearly tearing apart the town. Scorponok had the neural clamps on Snarl and the others loosened a bit to take advantage of their natural animosity towards Grimlock. As predicted, Snarl and the others weren’t happy to see their former commander, feeling Grimlock had betrayed their trust by activating the “dead man’s switch” that entombed them along with Shockwave. But Grimlock pointed out that what he did was in keeping with the break-the-rules, win-at-any-cost Dynobot credo, which seemed to calm the others down briefly. Maximum Dinobots issue 2
However, Swoop simply couldn’t overlook what Grimlock had done and took off on his own. Snarl, Sludge, and Slag also walked away together. Scorponok chose this moment to have his Headmaster army engage Grimlock, curious to see if the wayward Dynobots would aid their now-estranged leader. And they did return, unwilling to watch Grimlock die alone. Despite their valiant efforts, it seemed as if the Sunstreaker clones would overwhelm them, but the Monsterbots arrived on the scene to give the Dynobots some reinforcement. Summoned earlier by Grimlock, the Monsterbots’ addition to the battle soon turned the tide and the remaining Machination troops retreated. Maximum Dinobots issue 3
The Monsterbots agreed to ferry the Dynobots to Machination HQ in their ship. As Grimlock discussed terms of payment with Repugnus, Snarl and the others discussed what they considered a miserable situation. Snarl speculated that they were out in the cold now, in terms of faction. He admitted that although he enjoyed trashing Decepticons, he only did it so he could one day return to the trouble-free life he had on Cybertron. When Grimlock returned to tell the others the terms of their alliance with the Monsterbots, Sludge and Snarl both wondered aloud why they couldn’t simply let Scorponok alone. Grimlock told them that it was personal now and it was the “Dynobot way” to settle up with Scorponok. Snarl disagreed; he pointed out that the “Dynobot way” was more often than not, “Grimlock’s way” and he wasn’t sure he wanted to be dragged down with Grimlock because of it. But Grimlock, being Grimlock, told them he was going in, with or without them. After their commander leapt out of the ship into battle once more, Snarl and the others decided “what the hell”, and followed him despite their misgivings. They set about demolishing Sunstreaker clones again, with Snarl taking some damage to his leg. Grimlock told them he’d handle Scorponok, but Snarl insisted that they’d do it together, as Dynobot comrades-in-arms. Soon, the clones ground to a halt, and a damaged Hot Rod appeared to explain that Hunter O'Nion was likely responsible. As Sludge began to celebrate, he was blasted and apparently killed by Scorponok, who had decided to join the battle personally. Seconds later, Shockwave arrived on the scene, ALSO wanting a piece of the Dynobots and challenging Scorponok for the right to kill them. Maximum Dinobots issue 4
As Scorponok and Shockwave got into it, Snarl approached Grimlock, who was brooding over Sludge’s downed body. Snarl urged Grimlock to snap out it and use the time to escape, while reminding him that the Dynobots never were ones to get all “band of brothers“. But feeling that his obstinate attitude got Sludge killed, Grimlock told Snarl to retreat with the others while he remained behind to make amends. Snarl returned to Slag and Swoop and reported that Grimlock wasn’t going to be leaving with them.
The three retreated to an evacuation point while Hot Rod decided to stay behind to breach Machination HQ again. The Monsterbots were waiting for Snarl and the others at the evacuation point and Repugnus was perfectly willing to take the remaining Dynobots on as members of his team. This offer did not particularly entice Snarl, Slag, and Swoop and they decided to return back to help Grimlock. When they returned, they found that Scorponok had retreated, Sludge had come back online, and Grimlock was in pitched battle with Shockwave. Snarl and the others immediately set upon the one-eyed Decepticon, but Grimlock ordered them away to find Scorponok. They found Scorponok about to kill Hot Rod inside a chamber that housed the Decepticon Headmaster’s original head. Using his stegosaur plates as handheld daggers, Snarl attacked Scorponok and Hot Rod directed Swoop to strike at the Decepticon’s original head. Swoop severed the connections keeping the original head alive and Scorponok was disabled. At Hunter’s urging, Snarl was about to execute the helpless Decepticon when Ultra Magnus arrived on the scene. Magnus decreed that Scorponok and the now-defeated Shockwave would be taken into custody and made to pay for their crimes. He also suggested they clear the area of any Cybertronian evidence and depart as soon as possible. Snarl and the others agreed to this. When all was said and done, the warrants that Ultra Magnus had out on Snarl, Slag, Sludge, and Swoop were canceled when Grimlock took the blame for the initial going-AWOL incident and surrendered himself. Snarl was seen helping to repair the Skyfire and preparing to leave Earth with the remaining Dynobots. Maximum Dinobots issue 5
Toys
Generation 1
- Snarl (Dinobot, 1985/1986/1991/1992)
- Japanese ID number: 29
- Accessories: "Energo Sword", "Electron Cannon", "Rocket Pod", 3 missiles
- Snarl transforms from a robotic stegosaurus dinosaur bristling with gold vacuum-metalized armor plates, to a heavily armed robot armed with a red energo-blade, a smaller laser rifle and a rocket launcher with three black missiles.
- Snarl was later reissued in the European/Australian-exclusive "Classics" series (not to be confused with the 2006 Classics line). In Japan, he and the other Dinobots were offered as mail-away items during Operation Combination, at a cost of 2300 yen (his original retail price) and two robot points.
- Snarl (Action Master, 1990)
- Accessories: "Tyrannitron" partner, "Intensity Beam"
- Action Master Snarl is a non-transforming action figure that combines the animation model with toy-details and a few other new flourishes. Part of the third assortment of basic carded Action Masters, he came with his transforming partner Tyrannitron. He is compatible with any other Action Master weapon or vehicle.
Generation 2
- Snarl (Dinobot, 1993)
- Accessories: "Vigor Sword", "Electron Gun"
- The original Snarl toy went through several iterations in the Generation 2 line. First, he was re-released in the original silver base color without his missile launcher or missiles; the only notable difference in the toy proper is the inclusion of the "AUTOBOT" tampograph on the inside of one of his robot-mode legs.
- The toy then had its silver changed to green, and then changed again to red. The final red coloration is the most common, while the green and silver variations go for a little more on the secondary market.
Trivia
- The original Snarl toy was part of Takara's Diaclone Dinosaur Robo series. When Hasbro imported the toy for the Transformers line, the Diaclone driver mini-figure was dropped and the robot mode's black torso was turned to a more team-matching red.
- In "Heavy Metal War", Snarl demonstrated the ability to shoot lasers out of his nostrils.
- Action Master Snarl is the only carded returning-character Autobot Action Master to have an animal/robot partner rather than a giant accessory in the US line. Whether or not his partner Tyrannitron was originally intended to go with Kick-Off — who got a giant accessory rather than an animal/robot partner like all the other new-character Action Masters — is unknown.
- According to his toy bio, the Beast Machines era Dinobot Striker is rumored to be one of the original Generation 1 Dinobots. If this is true, his stegosaur mode and energy absorbing spinal plates strongly point towards his being Snarl.
